India had no idea of history: NIHCR Webinar

ISLAMABAD: India is a country whose name comes from the Indus River. The
name ‘Bharat’ is used as a designation for the country in their constitution
referencing the ancient mythological emperor, Bharata or Bharat, whose story is
told, in part, in the Indian epic Mahabharata, said Prof Emeritus Aslam Syed in a
Webinar on Discourse on Indo-Pak History: From Antiquity to Modernity-I, The
Idea of History in India here. 
The guest speaker Prof Emeritus Aslam Syed has been serving the Center for
Religious Studies, Ruhr Universität, Bochum, Germany. He remained Chairman,
Department of History, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad and also served the
NIHCR as its Director. 
Replying a question, Prof Syed said that according to the religious and historical
texts written down in the 5th century CE, Bharata conquered whole of subcontinent
of India and ruled the land in peace and harmony. The land was, therefore, known
as Bharatavarsha (the subcontinent of Bharata), therefore, is one of the oldest
inhabited regions on the planet. 
Responding to a question, Prof Syed said that the Indus Valley Civilization (c.
7000-c. 600 BCE) was among the greatest of the ancient world producing an
equally vibrant and progressive culture. It is the birthplace of four great world
religions—Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism. 
The Webinar was arranged online by the National Institute of Historical and
Cultural Research (NIHCR), Centre of Excellence, Quaid-i-Azam University,
Islamabad, attended by over 700 participants ranging from students, teachers and
researchers to have greater insights into the valuable views of the guest speaker. 
The inventions and innovations of the people of ancient India include many aspects
of modern life taken for granted today including the flush toilet, drainage and
sewer systems, public pools, mathematics, veterinary science, plastic surgery,
board games, yoga and meditation, as well as many more, Prof Syed recalled. 
During the discourse, the NIHCR Director Dr Sajid Mahmood Awan was of the
view that there has been over 4,000 years of philosophical and cultural
development in India, going back to early Aryan civilization.